Clam pasta with white wine and garlic
Foraged clams are steamed in white wine, then combined with garlic, butter and herbs to make a rich sauce; most of the work can be done ahead.
This recipe was created specifically for foraged clams, which are bigger and gnarlier than the neat littlenecks or cockles you can buy. Here, they're steamed in wine separately from the pasta, then the steaming liquid is used as the foundation of the sauce. As an added benefit, you can do most of the work in advance. The number of clams is flexible here. For a well-flavored dish, use two dozen larger clams (chowder clams, big cherrystones) or three dozen small clams (littlenecks, smaller cherrystones or cockles). But feel free to use more clams if you have them (or fewer if you don't). Clams vary widely in their inherent saltiness, so don't salt the clam pasta until just before serving. It might not need any extra once you've combined the clams with pasta that's been cooked in salt water.